The Bet
by MerissaFaye
Summary: Jace and Clary are best friends. When Jace decides to compete against Clary in the competition that will define their friendship, he finds himself in a sticky situation. His constant sarcasm and quips have made it impossible for Clary to see that he actually wants to be more than friends. Read this cheeky adventure to see if Clary will see through the act. All Human, short 5-parts.
1. Chapter 1

The Bet, Part One:

[Clary.]

I watched anxiously as one of my closest friends, Simon, put his hands straight up into the air, preparing to signal the start of the race.

I looked to my left and sweetly smiled over at my best friend Jace, whom I was competing against for a bet. Him and I were very playful friends, and this was just another one of those friendly competitions that we did for fun.

However, there were some stakes involved, so I wasn't going to just let him stomp all over me – I would win.

"Ready?" Simon asked us both.

Jace and I nodded, though we were both extremely focused on the task at hand. Nothing could break my concentration.

"Alright, in exactly one hour, you are both to meet me back here at this fountain with your cameras. Do you understand the rules?" Simon asked both of us, to be sure we knew about the time limit.

I nodded again and watched Jace nod his head too. He saluted me, before bringing his arm back down to rest on his knee. He was bent toward the ground, as if he were a sprinter in a big track meet.

I simply just stood there, feeling slightly awkward but attempting to radiate cute vulnerability, hoping that Jace would notice and find it endearing, which would hopefully then distract him. Although he was my friend and I wouldn't ever expect that happening, it was still worth a shot.

He would most likely play the game dirty too, so I felt no shame using my awkward sex appeal – if that was what guys found attractive, then why not? This was a game. After all, I know he's a boy and he has needs – maybe he would lose focus for just a moment or two by looking at me? I've been told that I'm a 'smoking hot redhead' before – however it was likely because I have fiery red hair – but still!

"Set?" Simon asked, staring between the both of us, silently measuring the tension between us both.

I gritted my teeth and prepared myself for what I was about to do. Running was never my forte; but I would have to try my best.

"Go!" Simon shouted.

As soon as he said that last magic word, Jace and I both sprinted off in different directions, on our missions. This was a battle and I was in it to win it.

As soon as I spotted the first attractive guy my age, I made a beeline for him. When I stopped in front of him, he eyed me up and down like a pervert, stopping when he saw my chest.

"Why hello there," he winked, and continued to stare below my eyes. "You've got a nice rack-"

I groaned. "Listen perv, I don't have time for you to awe over my boobs. Go find some other chick to knock up – I am definitely _not _that girl."

I rolled my eyes at how cocky he was. Aren't all guys the same? Sadly, all of them are… or maybe except Jace…but he's competing against me right now, so I had to knock him out of my head.

"So I need your help..." I told the pervert.

"I'm listening," he sighed, half-bored and impatient.

"I'm in the middle of a competition against my best friend. If I don't win, then I lose the bet, and then I have to bow down to Jace's feet and-" I cut myself off.

Who was I kidding? This guy didn't even care about the story behind this! All he wants is some of me. So you know what? I'm just not going to explain myself. I'll just ask for the damn picture and be on my way; I'll just kiss him, and not worry about anything else – I needed to win to redeem myself.

"Just forget the explanation, okay? Will you kiss me and let me take a picture of it?" I asked, while holding up my camera. "Please?"

He shrugged. I'm sure he just wanted the free kiss.

Whatever – I'll take it since I only had limited time. He smirked, before leaning in closer and pressing his lips up against my own. I hated it, since this was my very first kiss with someone other than Jace.

I quickly raised my hand with my camera and took a picture of us kissing so I could get this over with, and then I tried pulling back.

He was biting down on my lip, trying to reel me back in. I pushed him away hastily, taking a step backward.

After reviewing the picture of our kiss on my camera, I saw that I had captured it perfectly. I sighed happily when I realized that I didn't have to re-do that horrible experience to get a clear picture.

"Great, thanks!" I told him in a rush. I sprinted away in search of another guy to be my next victim.

I was going to win this competition; I was notgoing to bow down at Jace's feet; he will be the one bowing down to my feet.

…

[Jace.]

After Clary and I split up to start our game, I stopped momentarily to look back at her. I saw that she had already found a random guy to kiss.

I frowned because I was jealous of the guy – why does he get to kiss Clary when I haven't gotten the chance lately? It's a sad truth... I wanted to kiss her so badly.

Suddenly I remembered that I was in a battle where time was limited. I wasn't going to let Clary win, even if I liked her as more than just a friend. That could wait until later. Right now I'm focused on winning so that I wouldn't have to honor her with a bow down at her feet – wouldn't want to scrape up my knees in the process, now would I?

As quickly as I could, I sprinted toward the closest girl I could see. She was mildly pretty, but nothing in comparison to Clary. No one ever would be. Oh well – I had to make do with what I had.

I approached the girl quickly and smiled meekly at her. She grinned, upon the fact that I had noticed her in a crowd. I was attractive and I knew it.

Unfortunately I couldn't let this process go this slowly, so I had to initiate things to go faster.

I nervously opened my mouth. "Hi. This is unbelievably rude of me to ask, but could I get a free hug? I'm competing against my friend and-"

"Yeah, I saw her running around kissing every guy she sees and taking pictures. I know what's up." She smiled at me. "Are you doing the kiss thing too?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but I didn't want to say that at first, because then you might slap me," I explained quickly. "It'd be rude if I asked girls for a kiss right off the bat. Whereas my friend over there is a girl, so she can be that bold without getting a slap in the face. Guys don't have that option..." Why was I taking so long to explain this? I'm losing time! "Can I just kiss you and take my picture? I don't have much time."

She grinned. "Sure. You're cute."

I smiled at her and put an arm around her waist. She leaned in, initiating the kiss. I quickly pressed my lips against hers in response and took the picture.

When I was sure I had it, I pulled back and looked at my camera to review the picture; it was a perfect shot.

"Thank you so much for your help! I'm sorry but I have to run!"

"Good luck!" she shouted back, as I was already taking off in search of another girl to ask.

* * *

**Hello all, this is just a short 5-part story. It is meant to be cheeky and light. Clary and Jace will have altering POVs the whole story and Simon is a minor character. It's allllll about the Clace.**

**Hope you enjoyed! I'll update in a day or two, depending on the response to part one.**

**Thanks! **

**-M**


	2. Chapter 2

The Bet, Part Two:

[Clary.]

_(Flashback)_

"_You're so mean to me! I have too kissed a boy!" I shrieked. I could not believe Jace would assume such a thing! And to say it to my face and__in front of Simon? Apparently I should have stayed home today instead of coming to the mall with the two baboons I call my friends._

"_Someone other__than me," Jace said with a smirk. _

_Yes, him and I have kissed before. But before you jump to any conclusions, we are not dating; we just happened to be five when we first kissed. I've kissed him a billion times as a little girl, up until I was nine. That was when the both of us realized that we weren't supposed to kiss best friends. So we stopped – and that was the end of my kissing days. _

_Jace was sadly right; he's the only guy I've ever kissed._

"_Okay so you're the only one," I sheepishly admitted. "But still, I know what I'm doing... I'm not that stupid. Kissing doesn't require a PhD."_

"_I knew I was right," Jace stated confidently. "Seriously Clary, you need to find a boyfriend..."_

_Was he just hinting something, or was it my imagination? No – I'd bet money that it was just my mind messing with me. Jace would never like me as more than a friend, even though I wished he would. _

"_I don't want a boyfriend," I lied. I did want a boyfriend, but I couldn't come to admit it since the only boyfriend I'd ever want is Jace... _

_We were just friends though. I could never admit that. Ever._

"_So then you're a wimp!" Simon suddenly piped in without invitation to talk._

_I glared at Simon, sending him cold stares. "Am not," I disagreed. "You guys are just ganging up on me!"_

"_No we're not," he denied. He glanced over at Jace, silently asking if they were ganging up on me. Simon was the less confident of the two, since Jace had all the looks._

_I ignored them both and looked away. They could be so mean to me sometimes! Obviously they were my friends, so I forgave them, but still, they sometimes said things that hurt. _

_Jace, more than anyone, should know that it hurts, since he was my absolute best friend. But apparently he likes to take the side of Simon. I could never see why he chose to tease me like Simon did... I had confided in him before, telling him that sometimes Simon hurt my feelings, but he still followed suit and did the same._

"_You should be able to redeem yourself," Jace told me, when he noticed I went silent._

_I looked over at him, confused, since I had no idea what he was talking about. "What? How?"_

"_We can make a bet," he suggested. "And make it interesting..."_

_I groaned. Here was another one of those little competitions Jace always liked to throw at me. Being friends with a competitive boy was so annoying at times. "Alright Jace, I'm listening..."_

_He smirked. "I bet that if I gave you an hour today to kiss as many guys as possible, you couldn't get any because you're too scared." _

_Well thanks, Jace, the way you said that would have almost made me think you were a bully instead of a friend. Thanks so much best buddy. _

_Sometimes I don't get why guys are so stupid. _

"_HA!" Simon started to hysterically laugh. "I think you're right, Jace! She hasn't kissed anyone since she was, what...eight?"_

"_I was nine the last time!" I defended myself. My dignity was being taken away. "And you're both wrong! I could do it!"_

"_So then let's see if you can get even one kiss," Jace challenged me. "If you can prove me otherwise, then I'll bow down to your feet for a whole week, doing whatever you say... Sound fair?"_

_Fair? How is that fair? How come I'm the only one who has to do something!? Guys are so mean! "No, it doesn't sound fair," I argued. "I think you should be doing something too. Let's see how many girls you can kiss, Mr. I-Think-I'm-So-Charming-And-Attractive."_

"_What!" he objected. "Girls would slap me if I just went up and say __**'**__hey will you kiss me? I'm doing a dare!__**'**__ Come on Clary, be serious! Charm can't be forced like that!"_

"_So then figure something out! It's not fair unless we're both doing something in this bet!" I paused. "And you know what? I think you should bow down to my feet if you can't get girls to kiss you either!" I giggled. "See how many girls you__can kiss, Jace. I'll bet they'll all slap you and call you a jerk!"_

_His jaw dropped. I think he realized how mean this was all sounding now that it involved him. _

"_Fine!" he agreed in a shout. The people surrounding us in the mall were staring at our random outburst of yelling. "I can absolutely get more kisses than you!"_

"_Fine!" I shouted back. "Let's do this! Winner gets bragging rights and they can order the loser around for a whole week. Agreed?"_

_He outstretched his hand. "Agreed. Let's shake on it." _

_I grabbed his outstretched hand, and did the secret handshake we made up when we were five. "You're on, Jace."_

"_Best of luck, Clary," he wished me._

"_I won't need it," I assured him. "I have a secret weapon." I glanced down at my chest, hinting that it would be easier for me to get a guy to kiss me._

_He rolled his eyes when he saw where I was looking. "Cheater," he mumbled._

_I smirked. "I don't think you'd really want man boobs, would you?"_

_He shook his head quickly. "I have a secret weapon too, Miss Overly-Confident. I'm the son of the most powerful man in this town... everyone knows me and loves me. And I'm cute." He grinned like the Cheshire cat._

_Oh brother. Must he always remind me of his Herondale legacy? "Whatever. I'll still win."_

"_You can try," he chuckled. "But we all know who wins stuff like this."_

_It's true that Jace wins almost every competition we have. But this one, I knew I could win. _

"_Simon, are you the ref?" I asked quickly, to avoid pondering over all of Jace's wins. I needed confidence, not worries of losing._

"_Sure," Simon shrugged. "This should be interesting to watch..."_

"_WAIT!" Jace quickly shouted. "We need a way to have proof of the kisses..."_

"_If you get any," I mumbled._

"_Shut up," he muttered._

"_Knock if off, you two!" Simon whined. "Get out your cameras."_

_Oh...good plan._

_Game on._

…

[Jace.]

I felt a tap on my shoulder. "I heard you're giving away free kisses," a low seductive voice whispered to me from behind. I turned around to see a pretty girl. She had a big bust, a perfect ass, and everything any other guy would like.

But not me because I liked Clary. And even though Clary might have had a nice chest and a boney butt, I still loved her and only her. No one can compare.

"Yeah, it's a competition," I quickly explained. "Wanna help?"

She smiled. "Gladly."

She threw her arms around my neck and dove in for a fierce kiss. Before I could even raise my hand to get a picture, she was pushing her tongue into my mouth. I snapped a shot before I had to go much further.

I pushed her back abruptly and ran off without another word. I couldn't face the girl after that.

I thought about Clary. She was never that aggressive. Of course we were kids, and since then I've kissed other girls... but it just wasn't the same. Over the years I've had a few girlfriends to keep my secret safe about how much I like Clary... but none of my girlfriends ever really pleased me – I wanted _Clary_.

Girls that rush too much, like the one I just kissed, aren't really my type. I know my best friend wouldn't ever rush things. She's a slow-moving kind of girl – which is why she hasn't had a boyfriend yet... or at least I think that's why.

At one point in my life I thought about just asking her to be my girlfriend. I took her out on a date and everything, and I was prepared to just ask... but at the last second, I backed out. When she said she was enjoying our friendship time away from Simon, I realized that she didn't think it was a date like I thought it was. So I just gave up that night and hoped to move on.

I never have.

I like to tease her a lot because we're so close. I tease her because I like her. Sometimes I know I'm mean and blunt about it, but it's all for a reason. Maybe someday she'll get so angry with me that she'll just abruptly crash her lips against mine and passionately kiss me, telling me in-between our kisses that she's loved me for a while.

I can dream, right?

I didn't let my mind wander much longer. I continued to hunt down girls, get them to kiss me, take a picture, and move on. So far I've only gotten slapped once – I was making progress.

I just hoped that Clary hasn't kissed anyone yet; as terribly mean as it was to think, I hope they all rejected her. I'm not saying that because I want to win, and I'm not saying it because I want her to fail miserably – I'm saying it because I'm jealous of any guy that gets to kiss her.

Iwanted to be the one kissing her. Why can't it be me?

Why did we ever have to realize as kids that friends couldn't kiss without being more than friends? What would have happened if we would have kept kissing, up until we were teens, and then suddenly, we just said 'let's be more,' and then we were? That would have been the best possible solution to our problems.

When I realized I was losing my focus again, I quickly snapped myself out of it.

I needed to win this thing just so I could tease Clary some more. I loved doing it because I just love her. And during that week of her being my slave – if I win – I would subtly start showing signs that I like her:

I wouldn't order her around rudely; I would politely ask cute little things – like if she would give me a massage or if she would put suntan lotion on me or something. Granted, guys are supposed to do that for girls, but... hey, let's stretch the rules, shall we? I was always really good at that.

I spotted a girl standing in the middle of the food court, alone. This was going to be my next target. I quickly rushed over to her, hoping to get there faster. Her long red hair reminded me of Clary's hair – it was a bright eccentric red with perfect shine. I just wanted to run my hands through it...

Wait, no – I wanted to run my hands through Clary'shair.

Maybe I was thinking about Clary too much and that was why I was so desperate to kiss this girl? Maybe in the back of my mind I just wanted to be with Clary right now instead of doing this stupid competition? Maybe I just wanted Clary...

I knew I did and I couldn't deny it. Everyone already knows that I love her... so why don't they ever back me up? Maybe they were just waiting for me to do something like this in the first place? Maybe they wanted us to get together in an odd way.

What if Clary didn't want that though? What would I do? So many questions... so little answers I was getting.

I tapped the redheaded girl's shoulders and she slowly turned. I gasped when I saw Clary glancing down at her camera, looking through her pictures. She hadn't looked up to meet my eyes yet, so she didn't know it was me.

Finally, she looked up. But by then I had sprinted away and hidden behind a tall bushy plant.

I watched from behind my hiding spot as she shrugged it off like it was nothing and then looked back down at her camera, going through her pictures.

I sighed, knowing that I had just blown a chance. Wouldn't it have been romantic if we kissed just then, and each took that picture, putting it in our bet collection? And then after the bet, we'd get together and lovingly kiss each other every time we wanted to, without a worry. We'd be more than just friends if that happened...

But nope, I'm an idiot and I ran away. I'm always running away from her, aren't I? Every time I get closer to being honest, I hide before I make a fool out of myself. But what if Clary felt the same way? Then I wouldn't be making a fool out of myself.

Well…I still would be making a fool out of myself if she liked me and I didn't know it.

I needed to man up and just tell her how I feel... This is getting too complicated for my liking.

* * *

**I mean I really would have never seen that coming if I wasn't the one who wrote it...hahaha! Come on Jace, we know you've got more in you than that... Running away is for sissies! lol.**

**Welp here is part two of five. Hope you enjoyed. I got some pretty positive feedback since posting this, so I will keep updating quick if that happens again :) It'll be over in no time, sad but true.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-M**


	3. Chapter 3

The Bet, Part Three:

[Clary.]

No one was there when I turned around. I could have sworn I felt a tap on my shoulder.

Hm... That's a little strange.

Oh well. I needed to hurry up and get more pictures before time runs out. I glanced through the ones I had already, trying to give myself a confidence booster. I had over ten pictures so far and I still had some time left. This was making me feel better about myself – I really _could_ win this.

I looked back up from my camera, searching through the throngs of people for a guy to kiss. I saw the back of a boy's head by a large bush. He had messy blonde hair like Jace did, and when he turned slightly I could see that he was my age. I couldn't completely see his face though.

I shrugged, knowing that I didn't have time to wonder.

I confidently approached him and tapped his shoulder to make him turn around. Wouldn't you know it, it actually was Jace.

He stared at me nervously for some reason. I wondered what his problem was, but just shrugged it off again.

"Sorry Jace," I laughed. "I just thought you were a guy I could kiss. But that's okay – I shall move on to the next guy and leave you alone." I waved at him as I started to walk away.

He gripped onto my elbow though, pulling me back.

"Wait a sec," he whispered. "How are you doing so far?"

"Pretty good," I shrugged. "And you?"

"Great," he quickly answered. "I wish you luck..."

"I don't need it," I repeated, like I had said earlier.

As I walked away again, I noticed that he wasn't letting go of my elbow. He was walking with me. What the hell?

"Um, Jace you can let go now..."

"No, I can't..." he paused. "Hey, I have a question for you." He stopped me from walking, to ask his question.

"We're wasting time," I warned him. "I have to win this."

"You can get another picture if you just chill out and listen to me," he promised.

I sighed, giving in. He always does this to me. "Fine. What?" I folded my arms across my chest and waited.

He hesitated. "So I'm doing this competition with my best friend, and..." he paused, as if he were unsure of continuing.

I stared at him like he was crazy. What the heck was he talking about? I'm his best friend! I'mcompeting against him!

"I was just wondering if you'll pose in a picture with me?" he asked in a whisper.

I almost smiled, but then I stopped myself. I realized this was just a game to him...he was just trying to win; he didn't really want to kiss me.

Oh. So he's going to try that now is he?

Well if he wants to play dirty and throw me off guard, then I won't fall for it. I won't just let him walk all over me just like he always does. I won't let him. I won't kiss him.

"Sorry, but I have a competition to win," I set him straight. "See you at the fountain later..."

I sighed and walked away, leaving the area and leaving Jace.

I wanted to kiss him, yes. But I didn't want him to be a jerk about things and pretend he wanted to kiss me when I know that all he wanted to do was play dirty to win. I know how he works – he's the type who wants to win at all cost.

And if that means playing his best friend, he will.

_How could he do such a thing to me?_ I asked myself. I didn't know Jace could be such a jerk. I knew he was joking, but it still hurt me deep to know that he didn't care about my feelings.

A silent tear escaped past my eye, as I frantically searched through the crowds again, looking for a guy I haven't kissed yet.

…

[Jace.]

When I heard Clary refuse to kiss me, my heart plummeted. It tore apart into tiny little microscopic pieces that wouldn't fit back together unless you spent hours trying to find where every last piece fit.

I was now constantly frowning as I trudged around the mall, lazily looking for girls to kiss. I didn't even care anymore about the bet because I didn't think it was worth it anymore.

Clary looked hurt – sounded hurt too. She probably though I was trying to sabotage her game plan. I knew that was what she thought; when I looked into her eyes I could see it.

She was upset with me. Her temper was usually forefront and I had expected her to outburst about it, but she didn't – which meant she would probably end up feeling sad rather than angry. I felt instantly guilty.

I couldn't believe she'd think such a thing though. I know I've been tough on her over the years...but it's tough love and I thought she understood that. I guess not, since she really thought I'd be that mean to her.

I love her – I'd never want to hurt her in a way she'd expect me to... I didn't want to hurt her at all. Period; end of story; never ever; I wouldn't.

Now I wished I wasn't so pushy to start this competition. I was just trying to be teasing of Clary, to make her realize that I was more than attentive toward her, but what this bet turned out to be was nothing I liked.

I wished I could just forfeit... but then I decided against it when I realized she would just assume I did it to spare her. I knew she wouldn't want that.

So I decided I would stop trying to kiss more girls and I would just let her continue. I wouldn't make it seem like I was letting her win, even if I was – I would hide in a corner of the mall where she'd never find me and she wouldn't suspect a thing. I'll keep all the pictures of me and all the girls I've kissed so far, just to make it seem like I tried.

But other than that, I'm not going to try anymore – not when I know I've already hurt Clary.

I want her to win. She can win and I won't care. I'll do whatever she wants, I'll bow down to her feet...I'd dance like a monkey if she asked me to. I'd do anything she wanted, just because I can't refuse anything she asks. She means a whole lot to me and I want her to know that I think the world of her.

My only attempt at telling her how I felt had failed me. She thought I was just being mean. She thought I didn't like her. And it sucks that she'd think that, because it meant she might think the same thoughts every time I try to admit my feelings... I've clearly got a lot of work ahead of me.

I secluded myself in a part of the mall that no one ever goes to. Hardly anyone was around as I sat on a bench in the middle of the vacant hall, staring blankly into space.

Our friendship was not worth risking – why did I do this to myself? I sat there silently, thinking through every angle of this situation.

_What have I done?_

When my phone vibrated in my pocket, I finally moved from my position – I had just been sitting in the same spot for a while, staring blankly ahead at nothing.

I pulled out my phone and noticed that my alarm was telling me to return to the fountain; the competition was over in exactly two minutes. I stood up, gripping tightly onto my camera and headed toward the fountain.

When I got there, Simon was waiting patiently for Clary and I. He smiled upon seeing me and gave me a high five, which I lamely returned.

He noticed I was upset, but said nothing; he knew better than to ask me something like 'are you okay?' Isn't it obvious that I'm notokay? That's why he didn't ask, Simon was smart enoough.

We waited the two minutes for Clary to show up, but she never did. It worried me. She was supposed to be here by now so we could compare our number of pictures and see who won.

Although I didn't care about winning anymore, I still wanted her to come. I would definitely act like I cared and then be a nice loser when she ended up winning – but that would only be the case if she ever showed up.

She didn't come, ten minutes later. Simon had called her cell phone like fifty times and left a few dozen angry voicemails saying that she was supposed to be at the fountain and was in big trouble. Apparently he wanted to disqualify her, but he refrained from saying that in the voicemail. I only knew this because he was muttering curse words under his breath every time he hung up his phone.

I started to worry about Clary, rather quickly. Where had she gone? Was she okay? Is she mad at me? What if someone she kissed was a creep and they decided to kidnap her? I really hoped she was okay.

"Well you're not just going to sit there are you?" Simon finally asked me. I looked up at him, surprised when I heard him speak to me; he was so busy getting mad at Clary that I didn't think he even knew I was still here.

He shot daggers at me with his eyes when I took too long to answer. I finally shook myself out of my trance. "What do you mean?" I asked, dumbly. I didn't even need to ask because I knew what he meant.

A moment of silence engulfed us until I saw Simon's face change from mad to insanely angry. "Go after her!" he demanded.

He wasn't suggesting or asking me to – no, he was forcing me to. Not that I really needed to be forced to. I wanted to find Clary as much as he did. We were all like family – the only difference with myself was I wanted her to be my other half instead of her being like a sister.

"Right." I stood up and surveyed the area. That was when I realized I had no idea where to look. If she wasn't answering Simon – who was practically her big brother, someone she told everything and trusted, sometimes more than me – then I didn't know if she'd answer me, especially after what happened earlier.

I didn't realize I hadn't moved until Simon pushed me. I stumbled forward but caught my balance. Embarrassing, for someone like myself who always fought to remain composed, graceful and charming.

Before he could push me flat on my face, I started walking in the general direction of – well... not really anywhere in specific.

* * *

**I like to prod in Jace's brain. He has interesting things to think about. Maybe he should just MAN UP! Who votes for Jace to man up?! Sarcasm can only be used as a front for so long, before he must admit the truth!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**-M**


	4. Chapter 4

The Bet, Part Four

* * *

[Jace.]

Regardless of the fact that Clary hadn't answered Simon, I decided to try texting her myself.

**'Where are you?'** I swiftly texted.

I wasn't expecting anything back, simply because I knew she was mad at me. If she wasn't going to answer Simon's calls, then she surely wasn't going to answer me.

Surprisingly enough, she did end up texting back.

**'I'm throwing up in the bathroom...sorry... I'll be out when I feel better..'**

Crap. Someone made her throw up? What have I done to her?

I stared at Clary's text in disbelief. I hoped to God that this was a joke or something – but then I remembered my best friend doesn't joke about these things like I do. She was definitely not lying.

I opened a new text as quickly as I could, and texted back. **'Are you okay? Which bathroom?'** I was thankful she wasn't mad at me, but still I couldn't help but worry.

**'The one by the main entrance.'**

As soon as I got her text, I sprinted toward the bathrooms, leaving Simon standing by the fountain, without a clue. I ignored him yelling my name, focusing on the situation and making my feet travel faster.

**'On my way.'** I texted her as I ran. I shut my phone, bringing it back down to my side.

I finally reached the bathrooms. When I got there, I realized I couldn't do much else but yell inside and ask if she was alright.

I felt a buzzing in my pocket. When I lifted my phone out, I read the text from Clary: **'I'm in the family bathroom, so you can come in.'**

The second I received this text, I hurriedly pushed through the door of the family unisex bathroom. I rounded a corner once inside and saw a few stalls. One of them had legs sticking out at the bottom. I ran to that one, and pushed it open lightly, to see Clary.

When I poked my head in, I saw she was holding her hair back while puking into the toilet.

She looked up at me, smiled weakly, and moved her head back to hover over the toilet. I sighed because I hated seeing her like this. I wished I could help, but honestly there wasn't much I could do.

"It's probably just food poisoning," she whispered to me.

I instantly knew exactly what she was talking about. Her words made me realize that Simon's stupid idea of making us breakfast with his girlfriend and my sister Isabelle this morning was what caused this. He told me they used some older ingredients, but he claimed they were good.

I rolled my eyes when I thought about his idiotic move – only Simon would trust Isabelle in the kitchen and make breakfast with spoiled ingredients.

I kneeled down on the bathroom floor and crawled toward Clary. I hugged her body and held her hair back, sitting behind her. She didn't have a chance to smile or object because she was suddenly puking again. I pushed any remaining hair out of her face, holding it back for her, as she threw up again.

I frowned at every gag and had to look away a few times. I stayed by her side though, comforting her when she was in misery.

A half hour later, she was feeling well enough to stand. I supported her as I helped her stand and at the same time I flushed the toilet with my foot.

I dragged her out of the bathroom stall, and pulled her toward the sink. She washed her mouth out and tried fixing her appearance, while I stood there, supporting her the whole time.

When we were finally done, I wrapped my arm tighter around her, and pulled her out of the bathrooms, taking her back into the mall with me. I needed to get her home.

We met up with Simon, who gasped when he saw Clary and I coming. He dug his keys out of his pocket and rushed us toward the exit. I stared at my best friend as I walked, still with my arm around her waist. She looked kind of weak, even if she said she was fine.

I stopped her from walking. She looked at me questioningly as I bent down and scooped her into my arms to carry her. When she was safely in my grip, I continued to walk, following closely behind Simon, who was speed walking and leading the way.

I smiled down at Clary, promising her that I was going to take care of her. She just shut her eyes and nodded.

I followed Simon all the way back to the car. He opened the backseat door for me and then jumped in the driver's seat almost too quickly. I focused on carefully setting Clary down across the back seat. I hopped in and buckled myself, before buckling her in too. She laid her head on my lap, laying down, holding her stomach in agony.

Simon drove off, rather fast. He rounded corners so speedily that I had to hold onto my best friend so she wouldn't rock from side to side and get nauseated. So far, she hasn't complained about her stomach acting up again, so I was hoping that would be the case for the rest of the ride.

Of course that's never the case.

Half way through, when Simon was speeding to race a stoplight, he had to come to a very sudden halt, when it unexpectedly turned red. Clary flew forward a bit, and was whipped back when her seatbelt caught her.

She suddenly moaned, mumbling about that making her want to throw up. I quickly unbuckled her, and helped her sit up, her body half onto my lap.

"Simon, pull over," I demanded.

"I can't!" he shouted back. "Just roll down a window or something."

_Idiot,_ I thought. "Okay..." I pushed the 'down' button, letting the window roll down until it was all the way open. Clary stuck her head out, letting the wind hit her face.

"That actually feels good," she whispered to me.

"I'm glad," I chuckled. This was the first time I've laughed since before we started our bet today... "Don't worry about throwing up on the outside of Simon's car. I'll wash it sometime tonight, since he'll probably object to it..." I laughed again. "I promise I'll take care of you tonight, okay?"

Her head stayed out the window, so I wasn't sure if she heard me or not... but then I could see her hand moving around inside, searching for something. She finally found my hand, and she gripped it tightly, squeezing it to let me know that she heard me. I smiled.

We got to my house, and thankfully Clary hadn't thrown up again. I opened the door and rushed her into my house, trying to get her to the bathroom immediately. As I passed through the kitchen, I picked up a trash bag and then handed it to her. She opened it, just in case, as she stumbled along with me toward the bathroom.

Unlucky for us, it was occupied by my sister Isabelle, who loved to take long showers or insanely long chunks of time doing her hair. I took Clary to a different bathroom, which was thankfully vacant.

We resumed our positions from before – her over the toilet and me holding her hair out of the way and rubbing circles on her back, trying to calm her. I would whisper sweet words into her ear everytime she thought she was going to upchuck, and somehow it would stop her from having the nauseated feeling.

We were probably there all night, due to the number of false alarms she had. When she finally started feeling better, I brought her into my room and relaxed with her on my bed.

I was lying on my back, while Clary was lying on her stomach, somewhat overlapping me, in a position we almost always found ourselves in. One of her arms was lying on my stomach, her fingers slung through a belt loop on my pants, while her other hand was holding onto mine. I was rubbing her back with one hand, and holding her hand with the other. We were comfortable together, that's for sure.

Up until midnight, we had laid there without interruption. But then my door swung open, and Simon came stalking in. He plopped down on the end of my bed, holding two cameras in his hands. "If you want to know who won, I can tell you now," he told us both.

Even though I didn't care anymore, I still wanted to know. Actually, I more so wanted to see Clary's pictures. I hope she didn't have that many.

"Jace, you took seventeen pictures..."

My eyes widened. I had kissed seventeengirls today? And I even tried to quit on purpose! The saddest part about my number was that it wasn't eighteen, because that would have meant Clary kissed me. But she didn't.

"And Clary... you took thirteen pictures..."

Wow. I won, even after all that. I wondered if she was in the bathroom for part of the time though. Maybe I could just claim that she deserved to win?

"Yeah, but she was throwing up," I told Simon. "So I think she should just be granted the title of winner."

Clary's head shot up to stare at me. Her eyes were wide in shock. She obviously wanted to object. "What!? I wasn't even in there that long..." These were the first words I've heard from her in a while. I could see the heat rising in her cheeks – in anger. At least that meant she felt better.

"I don't care about the bet anymore, Clary," I assured her. "I just want to keep our relationship where it's at." Well, technically I want to be more, but I won't push my luck. "I'm sorry for being a jerk."

"Apology accepted," she mumbled. Her head rested back down on my chest. She was listening to my heart beat and squeezing my hand every other beat she counted.

Simon took this as his signal that he needed to leave. Thankfully he was a smart enough guy to know that much. He softly closed the door, leaving us alone.

I decided after a while that I needed to come clean with my best friend, about how I really felt.

"Clary, when I asked you to kiss me earlier, I wasn't trying to be mean..."

"I know," she sighed. "I just overreacted..."

I raised an eyebrow. "So you know that I like you?"

She met my eyes. "Um..." she trailed off. "No, I didn't until now..."

"Then how did you know I wasn't trying to be mean?" I asked, confused.

"You won't hurt me. You might tease me and take it too far sometimes, but you're not that cruel." She paused. "And I like you too."

She likes me too. Unbelievable. All this time, she's liked me too. Wow. I could barely form coherent words.

I smiled at her, as I started to ponder what I was going to say to her. These words could make or break me.

"You know... I would kiss you right now if it weren't for you having bad breath," I teased her. Maybe teasing her wasn't the best way to go about this, but I knew she'd somewhat appreciate it. It's just how our relationship works.

"Tomorrow?" she asked, giggling.

"I can live with that..." I said, as I grinned, thinking about kissing her again. I couldn't wait.

She smiled sweetly at me, and squeezed my hand once more.

* * *

**If that isn't a man, I don't know what is! Jace actually allowed himself to bring down his overconfident front so that Clary would see how he felt. For the sake of how Jace is, that's got some awe-factor for me. Simply adorable :)**

**Hope you enjoyed! The next tidbit is small and will not be posted until Monday since I have a runway show tomorrow and I won't be able to update during this weekend. My apologies!**

**-M**


	5. Chapter 5

The Bet, Part Five:

[Clary.]

I woke up to see that I was still on top of Jace after a long night's sleep.

Groggily I lifted my head and looked up at him. He was wide awake, staring at me when I opened my eyes. I wondered if he was aware how wonderful last night was, sleeping next to him like this again, but in a different way than I ever had before. There was a potential for so much more with Jace, now that he had admitted his feelings to me and I had been able to confess mine to him as well.

He seemed to have understood my expression as he smirked, his smile teasing but playful. It was the smirk I so often loved to hate, but now found that I just loved.

I laughed and kissed his hand. He caressed my cheek, sending tingles down my spine in rushes. It felt so perfect just lying here with him, to feel the warmth of his hand at my face. I could hear the beating of his heart in his chest when I set my head back down. I could make this my new home.

"Good morning," he whispered to me. His voice was hoarse, due to him just waking up too. I didn't mind. It had that sexy just-rolled-out-of-bed effect that made me swoon. No wonder so many girls fell for Jace. The only difference between me and those girls was that Jace actually fell for me, too.

I smiled at him, my mind engulfed in thoughts of how I loved being close with him like this. "Hi," I said shyly. This would be our first real interaction as best friends transitioning into…well, something more.

"Feeling better this morning?" he asked, with concern evident in his voice. He was prepared to grab his trash basket next to his bed if he had to. I thought that was really sweet of him and felt grateful that I had picked him as my best friend all those years ago.

"Yes I am," I grinned. "Thanks for asking." If only he knew that the main reason I felt so much better was because I was here with him.

He nodded. "Anytime, Clary."

We cuddled together comfortably for a few more minutes before getting up and heading downstairs for breakfast. I used to have sleepovers here all the time with Jace, but this morning everything was different. He held my hand as we walked downstairs toward the kitchen.

Jace was the one to make my breakfast, because he didn't trust Simon or Isabelle in the kitchen anymore. I giggled because it was pretty sweet of him. I ended up helping him make breakfast, even if he didn't want me to because I wouldn't miss helping Jace for the world. I loved partaking in any activity alongside him. Even cooking, which I never really cared for. Especially now, all I wanted to do was everything with him.

After breakfast, consisting of ham, potato cubes and toast, Jace sat down with me on the living room couch to watch a movie. He picked one of those action movies that I usually fell asleep to, but I made sure to keep my eyes open this time. We snuggled in together, just like we always did, even as friends. I could tell this was something different this time, just by the way Jace was holding me. His grip was more protective – like he didn't want to let go or didn't want to even allow me to go anywhere if it meant leaving him behind.

I smiled at his gentle and loving hold, and kissed his hand again. He kissed my forehead in return. We've always done that sort of thing as friends – kissing each other's foreheads and whatnot. But halfway through the movie, Jace surprised me.

He touched my face with his hands, and once I turned my head his face was right there, hovering. We just stared at each other, the anticipation rising in my stomach as I waited. His eyes grazed my lips before they came crashing down on mine, in a passionate kiss that I hadn't felt since I was little and Jace would plant them on me without warning. I remembered the way his lips moved – they were soft, but gentle, and yet aggressive this time. I knew that we had matured to a higher level. And I liked it. It felt nice to kiss him again.

"Your lips are soft," I told him between kisses, our foreheads touching and our fingers intertwined. "Kiss me again."

He smirked, seeming caught up in the moment too. He initiated another kiss, our lips meshing perfectly as if they were molded to be that way.

As great as it was to feel his lips against mine during the movie, Jace and I took advantage of our time together by allowing other aspects of our lives to change, aside from the fact that we were now able to kiss each other. We played a game of pool, did a tug-of-war game with Jace's siblings and their significant others outside, and we even took a jog together so we could talk alone. Talking was always one of our favorite things to do together, because it gave both of us insight on how the other thinks.

On our jog, Jace confessed about liking me since he was young, and I admitted up to the same. I was pretty aware that he already knew I had, since I had never gotten boyfriends over the years – I had always saved my kisses for Jace.

We shared another quick peck on the lips, before continuing to jog toward the park.

"So you kissed thirteen guys, huh?" he said, laughing almost hesitantly. "Congrats. You really _can_ kiss other guys..."

I shrugged. "It was kind of torturous," I admitted. "They were all rushing things, trying to stick their tongue down my throat. I tried imagining you, but that didn't work out very nicely." I grimaced as I remembered some of the more obnoxious guys I kissed. Why I agreed to that contest, I would never be sure.

He nodded, understanding. "Yeah, I had the same problems with the girls. Although not to sound conceited or anything, but I might have had an easier time getting people to kiss me in the first place."

I shrugged. I could handle his self-focused nature when it was open and honest, like he was being right now. "Yeah, you have creepy fan-girls who were probably lining up." I laughed, trying not to think about it. I wanted to be the only one he kissed now.

"At one point, there actually was a girl that came up to me," he said, with another throaty laugh. "And then I saw a girl with red curly hair like yours. I approached her and I found that it was you..." he trailed off.

Aha! So I wasn't just imagining things! Someone did tap my shoulder! "How'd you get away?" I asked, dumbfounded.

He shrugged. "You didn't look up until I was hidden behind the bush..."

We continued to jog in peace after that. All we heard was the sounds of our feet hitting the ground at the same time and the occasional car honking at us for being in the middle of the road. We jogged all the way to the park, only stopping there for a quick breather.

Instead of sitting on a park bench, we hopped up on the playground equipment and sat close together. Every kid that passed by us would make a kissy face, begging for us to kiss. I was confused, because I thought kids hated the thought of people kissing.

We didn't complain though. Jace and I kissed anyway, which in turn made the kids cheer. It happened a couple times. I couldn't have been happier.

"I thought guys thought girls had cooties at that age?" I asked him in a whisper, so none of the children watching would hear. They all seemed preoccupied now.

"Nah, we guys can get over that at around age five..." he trailed off. "Oh wait, that was just me."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, true, you've always been quite the ladies' man. I think I was different too, because I stopped believing in cooties at around age five." And that was because of Jace, I reminded myself.

He smirked. "Mhm, I'll bet you did."

"We were rebels," I added. I thought about how him and I were constantly attached at the lips, as kids. It's insane to think we even knew how to do that.

"Yes we were," he agreed. He went quiet for a moment before he asked "What do you wanna bet that Simon still thinks girls have cooties?"

Bet, huh? Oh dear.

"I'll bet a thousand kisses that he doesn't," I challenged. "He's smarter than that, don't you think? Plus, why else would he and Isabelle work out if he did still think that?"

"I bet a thousand kisses that he still thinks girls have cooties." Jace countered me. "And by the way, he's not that smart. I bet he just pretends to like Isabelle."

We both stared into each other's eyes, and then simultaneously we hopped off the playground equipment and sprinted toward Jace's house, screaming for Simon's attention.

It was just another bet...right?

Wrong. No bet comes without a complication. But that's another story to tell at another time...

* * *

**And that's the end, my dears! It was meant to be just a cute, short little thing. Originally I was going to make it a oneshot, but I decided that it was quite the long read to do that. I hope you enjoyed, regardless! I had once considered doing like a sequel short story to this, and maybe I will still decide to do that, but for now I want to focus on my other TMI Fan Fiction Dumpster Diving. (Check it out if you'd like!) ****Maybe once I finish Dumpster Diving, I can revisit this and maybe write a sequel about Simon and Isabelle ;P Just a thought haha!**

**Thanks for all the reviews, follows and favorites! There were surprisingly many! **

**PEACE AND LOVE**

**-Merissa**


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